HiDef: Full Spectrum
by Hiiragi
Summary: Ever wondered what the very beginning of Hi-Def was like? How did Mo and Glitch team up? This is Hi-Def: Full Spectrum.  Mo/Glitch. Bodie and Emilia included with hints of Bodie/Glitch
1. Just a Glitch

It was never any fun going at it alone. The streets were tough. The cold was tougher. Anyone could take a good beating and tough it out, but the cold didn't have any mercy. It didn't have any sick days. You could always duck around the corner to avoid the usual hard cases, but cold wasn't something you could hide away from.

But him? He didn't want anyone's pity. Shivering cold and scared shitless, he could have cared less if some crispy dressed lawman passed him by and looked at him like he was some lost pup. At least they knew better than to stand by for too long. His fingers were quick. It was his way of getting by, you see. Everyone had to have some sort of way of getting the green. That was his. It was better than what the other kids got into. He was just lucky he was quick enough.

"Watch it, kid!" scoffed the man the boy stumbled into.

"Yo, you watch it. Think you own the place?" He mocked the anger. Nah, he wasn't some punk. Well, maybe he was, but he wasn't one for picking fights. It was just an image he threw up to have them continue on their way before he grinned and produced their wallet out of the palm of his hand. It wasn't a bad catch. The guy didn't even know what hit him. He was probably just as blinded as everyone else.

"You look like an angel. That's why," teased Mariette. "That's a lot of cash for a kid. I think I'll take some for myself, if you don't mind."

"Hey! C'mon! That's not fair! What gives!" the boy protested.

"Look here, sweet pea.. You're just another face. You want someone around here to give a damn? Do some work… You know.."

The woman's suggested smile immediately sent the boy about face. His hands shoved into his pockets far too harshly. "Shit," he hissed as he felt a finger plunge through the failed seem of his right pocket. The digit wiggled after him before simply rolled his eyes.

It would have been easier. She was right. He could have just gave up everything. He could have become like every other messed up kid. He was on that path. But he didn't want that. Maybe he wasn't really the angel that fooled everyone into misplacing their wallets and keys among other things into his hands, but he was not complete utter street trash. He had pride still. And the day that was gone? Well, then he'd consider Mariette's offer.

It was getting pretty late. The cold wasn't getting any friendlier. The best home someone without a home could have hoped for was down in the subways. The lawmen wouldn't come snooping around down there.

Problem with the subways? It got dark as all hell at night. Creeps came out in the dark. It was pretty scary for a while, but when it was all you ever knew… well.. It wasn't scary anymore.

Some wiseass once said. Learn to sleep with one eye open. He had to meet that guy and crack him in the jaw. It just wasn't possible. If it was, he sure wished that guy left a memo behind on how to do it.

More than once did the boy catch himself where he sat leaned against the wall. The benches were all taken. He huddled himself beneath his jacket, though with it now sporting one more hole in its insulation than it had previously, it really didn't do anything to keep the cold out. "Fucking winter," he grunted. It was the one season that seemed to never end.

Just when he swore he'd at last find some sleep, a light shined. The angle was just right to flash right through one of his jacket's growing holes. "The hell..?" the boy breathed out irritably.

At least, having given up his fight for rest, he threw the jacket to his lap in defeat when the light multiplied. It looked like some group of kids showed up with flashlights. Great. Another prank? Were they coming down in the dark, cold, scary tunnels to say ghost stories? Did they think it was cool being away from their comfortable warm food-filled homes? Well he wasn't buying it. "Turn that shit off, damn it!" he shouted aloud.

"Chill out, little man. We can't have a party without some lights, can we?"

"You're sure here early tho."

Early? The boy grimaced. Did they think he was.. one of them? Well, he was particularly clean today, he supposed. But that wasn't it! He wasn't going to join in on some "party"... Besides, things that happened in the tunnels weren't typically what he would have called safe. "Naw, man. I gotta go," he mumbled out.

"But the party isn't even started yet. C'mon...Where are you going..?"

The boy stared awkwardly after the guy that pulled him to his feet. He stood together with an even stranger girl. They wore wide smiles on their faces. They were pretty friendly, but there was something beneath it all that screamed fraud.

Regardless of what he planned on doing, he found himself nearly jumping out of his shoes when the floor gave a thump beneath his feet. They laughed at his reaction. It was only their damned speakers cutting on. So that was their big reason for hiding out in the tunnels? They were literally having a party? His relief had never so clearly shown upon his face as it did then. A heavy sigh left him. "Geez..."

"What's with your jacket...?" one nameless face asked as he retrieved the jacket from the floor. They were crowding around, inspecting him over.

The blond guy picked at the fabric of the jacket absently. "Looks like you've been sleeping with rats...," he spoke with a laugh.

"Bodie...," the girl, his accomplice spoke in a chastising tone.

"I uh.. I gotta go." It was then that the kid had enough. He took off into the darkness of the tunnels. It was a bit stupid. No, it was absurdly dumb. He ran until it hurt. Then, he ran just a bit more. As if running changed anything. He panted, but it didn't mask away the tears that fell. Stupid. Why the hell did he run off like that? His hands patted at his body. He even left him with his jacket. As messed up of a jacket as it was, it was his only protection against the cold. A small fist struck the wall. Then, he kicked it for good measure. That didn't change anything either.

"Yo...," a voice called out.

That was great. Someone saw him running and crying like some kid? That was all he needed. "Bug off..." But whoever it was didn't listen. The footsteps were coming closer. Fear replaced his embarrassment pretty quickly. "Hey, look, I said get the-," he began, trying to muster the toughest voice he could. Still, it was a quivering mess.

"You forgot somethin'..," the voice spoke right before the kid.

The boy turned to scrutinized the tall, dark figure, but it was sudden that his vision was blanketed over by something that fell atop his head. He took a breath to scream bloody murder. This was it. He was done for. He was being kidnapped. Murdered. Raped... likely before the murdering. Mutilated. Strung up.-Wait.. it was just his jacket. After the initial fearful flailing of his limbs, he felt the harsh heat at his face when the guy chuckled. "Shut up..."

"Sorry about those guys back there. They didn't mean anything by it. They didn't know."

"Yea well...," the boy began, trying to appear as though he didn't give a damn. Who was he kidding? He was crying. The guy saw it all. The coat was fixed back around him and he merely shrugged.

"You hungry?"

The nameless boy scrutinized the guy. He was tall and dark.. His face was a real mystery, hidden beneath a jacket hoodie as well as a cap. He was definitely one of the guys he would have steered clear off. Odd.. when it was his smiling friendly looking buddies that were the real creeps. "Uh... but your friends."

"I'm not askin anyone else," the guy said with a grin. Then, his hand moved forward. "Call me Mo."

"Uh...," the boy answered dumbly.

"You got a name, don't you?"

"Uh... yah.. sure..," Like hell I do. Kid. Rat. Angel. Everyone threw a different at him everyday. He never had a real name and he never was one to argue against the ones he was given.

Mo tilted his head. Well, they did just meet. He'd get the name later. The kid looked starved. First things first. "C'mon. Food first, right?"

* * *

><p>It became a regular thing. Mo never asked the kid his name. They'd meet in the tunnel every night. They'd ignore Bodie's calls after them and head up for a bite to eat, paid for by Mo of course.<p>

"I hear you're in service now, Angel," Mariette teased the boy as she ruffled his black hair about.

"Service!" the boy nearly shouted. "Hell no! Me and Mo aren't doin' anything like that, Mari!"

"What are you two doing exactly..?"

"He buys me food. We talk and stuff. That's all."

"He's buying you, Angel."

"Naw.. Its not like that Mari.. He's not buyin' me."

It was a statement that repeated itself in his head throughout the day. When Bodie showed up first with his crew and grinned. Naw. Bodie didn't grin at him like that for ithat/i reason. When the other guys taunted him to come over and dance. No way. Not ithat/i reason. No way. Then, before he knew it...

"You lookin' downright serious today."

"Shit, Mo!" the boy gasped. The guy only laughed it off, as always even when he shoved him nearly off his feet in retaliation. "You snuck up on me."

"All set?"

"Yah...," he answered uncertainly. But.. What was Mo's deal..? What was his angle..? Was it like Mari said? Was he just being...bought? Mo wasn't some dirty guy like that... He was just a really nice guy. That's all. The boy sat himself across from the other. It felt like he spent the entire time scrutinizing the face beneath the cap and hood like it was some mystery puzzle. Right now, it was.

"Ok. What is goin' on in that head of yours...?"

"Mo.. do you..uh.. I mean.. Are you-"

It was pretty sudden that the rain from outside burst in on them.

"Whoa!" the boy yelped out. He was pretty much at a loss until he realized all the water was coming in from the diner's sprinkler system. Then, that sight was blocked out by the taller figure and his coat. "Mo..?"

"I got your back. Lets bail before we drown."

As they stood outside with the rest, one of the disgruntled patrons grumbled, "What's going on..?"

"I'm... I don't know, sir. I guess it was just a glitch in the system," the waitress answered.

"That's it!" someone shouted, startling everyone into staring blankly.

To his horror, the boy realized it was his buddy. "Chill out, Mo... Whats the big-"

Mo hugged the boy tight around his waist and suddenly lifted him right off the ground. "I figured out a name for you!"

"Oh ya? What's that..? How about YOU'RE-BATSHIT-CRAZY-PUT-ME-DOWN-BRO!"

Mo laughed when he at last settled the other on his feet. Everyone else was finally looking away by then. "Glitch. It fits."

"Glitch...? What? Like I'm some broken water sprinkler...? Well thanks for nothin' man.. I'll stick with hey you and kid..."

"No. Like... the Glitch that wasn't supposed to be around that night. You know? The glitch that shouldn't be out in the dumps. Glitch. You." Mo turned rather bashful then. "Uhh.. You don't like it...do ya?"

The boy stared for a while. "Mo..," he breathed out. What was that big question he wanted to ask again..? Hey, Mo, you buying me, bro? Ya.. Slowly, he grinned. "Man... who do you think I am..?"

"Uh...," Mo answered dumbly.

"I'm your best buddy, Glitch, right! Why wouldn't I like it?"

Mo grinned wildly. "Yah, but with a cool name like that, you need to do somethin'."

"Like what..?" asked Glitch.

"Dancing is a good place to start."

"I don't dance, Mo."

"Not even with me?" spoke the suave guy.

Glitch felt the brush of the hand that just barely swiped his waist. Was it an accident? "Uhh.. I guess.. if it's with you, it's OK."

"Then that's that. We're partners!"

"Partners?" Glitch echoed doubtfully. Even then, he grinned after the guy.

Mo was already brainstorming ideas. They'd need a place. Maybe they could chase Bodie and his buddies off when they got good enough. The subway was their place. It was where they met.

Really, it didn't matter where it was to Glitch. It didn't have to be the subway. If Mo was there, that was good enough. But partners.. saying it like that..? Ugh.. Maybe he'd just ask him about it later. For now.. he didn't want to ruin the moment. Things were fine just like this.


	2. Feel the Beat

"You know, Glitch. You ain't gotta stay in the dumps anymore. My apartments big en—"

"No, man!" Glitch shouted out even with the guy trailing behind him. It was hard to remember sometimes that he was actually the younger one. Mo was practically an adult. Well, he was. He wasn't any kid, but the age difference was there. Still, it was Mo who was whining at his back like the child of the pair.

"It's warmer."

"I'm not cold," Glitch lied. It was a horrible lie spoken through clenched teeth. That was right. He still wore the busted up jacket, though Mo insisted on getting him a new one.

"Besides.. Where are we gonna practice at..?"

"You know what he really means, Angel," Mariette teased as she watched the boy pace up and down in front of her. Really, it was a wonder he still showed up. She only ever upset him with her words. "Why don't you just say yes? You'll get a place to stay. It's not so bad. You're not istill/i a virgin, are you?"

"Wh-What! I.. Of course not!" Glitch found himself blurting out. His face was hot. Another obvious lie.

Still, Mariette only smiled. The woman lounged back upon the tattered couch. There were shady dealings going on inside her apartment today. She let Glitch come by, but it was always best when his visits were kept short and sweet. There was no sense getting him involved. She knew he was way beyond simply not interested in the scene. "I bet… it really is warmer.. Especially with someone like him. You said he was good looking?"

"I.. did..?" Glitch stared for a while longer than he intended. Had he said that? No way… But Mo is a guy! Well.. he wasn't naïve. Guys liked guys. Guys especially liked guys they could buy to… But Mo wasn't like that! Quickly, Glitch took to shaking his head. His favorite escape route at last appeared, "I gotta go…," he muttered which was not so much a lie as it could have been when he spied scary guys entering Mariette's apartment. "See you Mari."

Night came and the subway filled with the now typical crowd. The blond guy from before, Bodie, still showed up every night since that first. His friend, Emilia, was busy selecting their beats for the night. Everything was just getting set up. And Glitch? As always, he picked up and made sure he kept his distance away. He wasn't interested in them after their first run in. Maybe Emilia wasn't so bad, but Bodie and his buddies simply creeped him out with their strange grins.

Despite the cold, the jacket was folded at the back of his head. It didn't really make the cement wall any friendlier, but he hoped it would have made for just enough comfort that he could get some sleep even with the bass pounding the floor and all the excitement nearby.

Mo wasn't showing up tonight. Actually, did Mo even hang with Bodie's crew anymore? They usually met up in the subway during all the festivities. Mo would take him out for a bite to eat. They'd talk. Mo would bounce his ideas of the giant Glitch-wall of rejection and denial.. then they'd call it a night. He wondered.. what sort of person was Mo? Why did he want to hang with him? Was he not friends with Bodie and the others now because of him? That wasn't a good thing… He didn't want to burden anyone, especially not Mo.

"You look lonely," spoke the voice that sounded FAR too close for comfort.

Glitch found himself scrambling back and away from the body he only just realized sat beside his own. "Uhh.. the hell..?"

"Tch. What? Did I scare you? You weren't really sleeping were you? You sleep out here..? So that means you're really homeless, aren't you?"

"I uh… Well… umm..," Glitch stuttered out when Bodie leaned in far too close.

"You know… I could pay you..," Bodie whispered.

The heat flared once more at Glitch's face. Pay him! Suddenly all the strange, creepy grins had a reason. He swore he felt the guy's hand brush against his thigh. No. No way. It was just his imagination. After all this time, he was not just now being molested by a dude….practically alone..though there was a crowd a couple feet away….in the middle of the night.. in the dark scary tunnels of the subway. "Wh-What are you talking about…? Back off, man…"

"To dance.. of course," Bodie spoke with a chuckle. "I want to see how you move… You need the money, don't you..?"

"Money… just to dance..? Really, you'd do that?" Glitch stopped freaking out. He was really considering it. Was that really possible though? He never thought dancing would have gotten him any money. Sure, there were the dirty dancers in the bars that got money for flashing tits..but.. well… he didn't have any of those and his child-like appearance never would have sold to anything but creepers and..what the hell he would have never done that sort of thing anyway. What was he even thinking? "Just any sorta dance..?"

"So you're interested?" Bodie's brows raised questioningly. "Well, let's see what you got, little man."

As Glitch stood, surrounded by Bodie's crew, his sane mind finally caught up to him. What the hell was he thinking? He didn't know the first thing about dancing. He was just a pickpocket. A thief. And…most recently… a very bad liar.

"Just follow us," Emilia spoke with an encouraging smile. "Do your best!"

"If you can keep up," Bodie teased with a grin.

Glitch had watched them before. They drew a crowd for a reason. People came out in the cold and dark to watch Emilia and Bodie dance together to their favorite tunes. He never really thought much of it. Were they making money from it all that time too? But damn… As the music began and they began to move… Never had he felt like such a total idiot.

The boy was left stumbling upon his feet as he tried his best to have followed their lead. Wait.. how did they do that? He was completely out of sync. Wrong arm. Wrong leg. They were all laughing when he tripped and fell against some of their gang.

"Are you even trying? Man.. this is painful to watch," one laughed, shoving the boy cruelly against another body.

"No kidding..!" another agreed between his howling laughter. Then, another shove sent Glitch reeling forwards. He fell onto his front, unable to even catch himself with his hands and knees. The side of his head hit pretty hard upon the floor.

When Glitch fell harshly on the ground like that, the pair had by then stopped their moves. They could only survey it all. Emilia seemed concerned. It was written clearly across her face. Bodie looked surprised. Glitch realized what a fool he had made of himself. What was he even thinking..? It was all just a joke, wasn't it? Damn, but he was so gullible. Tears stung at his eyes, built equally from both his frustration and his embarrassment.

"Here, let me help," Emilia spoke gently. Bodie was soon at her side, helping her reach to assist Glitch back on his feet.

"Just leave me alone," the boy hissed beneath his breath. He shoved away from them. He ran. And he never looked back not once. Unfortunately, he also was rather blind as to where he was going. He ran right into a tall figure. At first, he figured it was just some random guy. Just another of Bodie's crew maybe. Just another person that wanted to roar with laughter like all the rest. However, as he moved to shove away at the guy, he found his shoulders held so gently. A concerned face stared down after him.

"Whoa.. hey…hey! What happened.. Shit your head.. You're bleeding…"

Glitch was left stunned by the sight of that face. He stared through the tears after the guy.. his partner, Mo. What was he supposed to do..? Mo saw him crying.. again. Wait.. bleeding? Was he..? For a moment, he raised a hand and felt the trail of blood that dripped down his face. Had he hit the floor that hard? It only made the tears spill that much more. He was pretty shook up over it all.. and immensely embarrassed.

"Glitch… ," Mo spoke, reaching a hand to carefully maneuver the black hair away from the wound. However, he was left pretty surprised when his action was fended off. The smaller body shoved past him. He could only watch as Glitch ran off. This was his fault. He was late. Work was to blame..but that was no good excuse.

Glitch panted when he reached the door. It was pouring raining again, but he knew it did nothing to hide the stream of blood that had fallen from the gash on his head. Whatever. It wasn't like he could have gone to the doctor or anything. This was the next best thing. This was all he had. Even so, he stood a good while at the door, uncertain of how to proceed. He never stayed at the place… He was always out on his own. He only visited every so often… but…

Slowly, Glitch raised his hand and knocked his skinned knuckles against the door.

"Yo?" called a voice within.

It wasn't her… Was this still a good idea? It didn't matter. He.. had nowhere else to go. "Uhh.. its Angel. Mari's Angel. Can I come in?"

There was muffled talking on the other end. Was the voice arguing with someone about it? This wasn't such a great idea, Glitch supposed. "Uh… Nevermind. It's nothin'.. Just let Mari know I came by?"

"Sure. Yah, I'll do that.."

It was a strange answer. Mariette always had the weirdest company, though. So it wasn't that unusual. He would just find her in the morning. Her place usually was emptied out by then. His hand braced his forehead. It was still throbbing with pain when he finally found a place to hide away from the cold, wet storm's reach.

His scraped palm was as good a bandage as he could have hoped for. A bit of a sniff left him where he sat huddled close against one of the towering buildings. There, he was occasionally graced with the warmth that seeped out each time a tenant opened the doors. The awning filtered at least some of the rain away from him. It still pooled on the ground and found its way to him, however.

It was pretty early morning when Glitch got his start. The night spent in the storm left him chilled. Though it was so early, he hoped that Mariette's company had finally left.

When he once more stood at her door, he found himself rubbing fiercely at his forehead. The blood had caked at the injury sight as well as where it had trailed down his face. He'd have to ask to borrow some money or something—maybe her washroom—something to get himself cleaned up…or at least dried off. Then, at last, his hand raised and he knocked on the door. "Yo Ma—" The door opened just from the faintest tap of his first knock. It wasn't shut. It wasn't locked. Glitch held his breath.

It was like one of those horror flicks. Everything screamed… Get the hell out. What are you thinking? Still, some sort of invisible strings tugged him through the door. "Mariette?" he called out into the eerily quiet apartment. There was no answer. Rational thinking demanded that he turned around and left. He didn't. He moved further inside.

The main room was a mess. It wasn't too unusual. Mari had some pretty wild parties. It was still early. She just didn't have time to fix anything up, he reasoned with himself. The bathroom was clear, though it looked like whatever storm hit the living room had also struck the medicine cabinet. Everything in it was strewn about on the floor and piled in the sink. Then, he found the door to her bedroom. It was left open. The light was on. "Mari?" he called out, his voice wavering.

His hand reached for the knob. It was only then that he realized how much he was shaking. It was just the cold. Ya. That was it. A gentle push and the door creaked open. It was not a sight he was ever going to forget.

Next he knew, Glitch found himself hunched over in the alley outside Mariette's apartment trying to figure out just what it was that had been once been his last meal. It was spewed out over the ground. Then, not even an hour later, he stood in a daze across the street when the cops car lights were flickering off the walls. He watched as they carted out the body bag. It was no way to have said goodbye, but he couldn't very well walk over and say he was the one that found her body. He knew what happened to people who got involved in that mess. Besides, then there would be questions. Where's your parents kid? Where do you live? But.. did any of that even matter? Mariette was dead.

And still. Night came and, like clockwork, he was in the subway as if nothing had changed. He sat there and stared off away from the gang that, this time, left him alone when they all showed up. iMo…/i He had been so mean to the guy last. He shoved him away. Now, of all times, he wished he had that company—or any for that matter. But why would Mo show up now? His buddies thought he was a joke. They pushed him on the ground and made fun of him. He was just some kid off the streets that was given a silly name. That was all.

"I'm sorry about yesterday..," called the voice that came out of nowhere.

Glitch slowly turned his gaze up after the taller guy. For a while, he just stared after him.

"Are you OK?"

The world felt like it finally caved in around him. Glitch had acted so suddenly that it startled Mo backwards a few steps. The smaller boy's arms wrapped around his torso. His head buried against the solid, toned chest. There was not a single bit of shame in those tears….even if Bodie's crew could hear him—which thankfully they could not. They were a ways off, perhaps out of respect from the incident the other night. "I don't wanna be out here anymore, bro. I don't wanna."

Mo's hands braced those shoulders. For a few seconds, he simply held him there, unsure on how to properly respond to this. Was it all just from whatever happened between him and Bodie's gang? He wasn't sure. "Hey… You don't have to. I told you you can stay with me, right?"

"I just.. I don't wanna be out here anymore," Glitch sobbed.

"Okay, okay..," Mo whispered the words gently. His hands massaged gently over the other's back. "It's okay, Glitch… It's cool." What had happened..? It wasn't just Bodie. It wasn't just the prank that caused all this. Whatever it was, Glitch wasn't ready to say it. And it didn't need to be said. "Let's go home, G."

Home… Was that what it was going to be like? Glitch could only nod his head in agreement. Mo even took off the infamous hoodie and settled it over him. It was so warm. Mo held him a while longer.. and Glitch found himself burying his face still against his chest. There, he listened to the most beautiful beat in the world ever… It was certainly his favorite.. There, beneath that warm, solid chest, was the sound of Mo's beating heart. He shut his eyes and savored it. It was the most precious thing that Mo had ever given him yet.


	3. Home Base

Home. What did that even mean? Really, he never seriously thought about the concept. Once, he might have thought he'd eventually cave to Mariette's teasing. He'd become just another statistic among the trashy kids doing trashy things with their bodies… be it selling it or filling it with who knew what. Yeah, even though he told her no all the time, he seriously doubted that the pick pocketing was going to keep him safe and sound forever. At least, if he caved in, he would have likely had a home at her place. But he never thought home would have meant this.

"Yo, you're awake? How's that head of yours?"

Glitch had sat awake for a good while before Mo's inquiry actually, staring around the room he had been assigned to. It was obviously Mo's bedroom. The guy was a real life knight in shining armor. A gentleman. Though, Mari would have likely have had a field day with the fact that Mo "got him in his bed." But Mo gave up his entire room to accommodate him and took to sleeping on the couch. The walls were littered with posters and artwork, but it was actually a pretty clean place.

There was one thing that stood out. There was a sort of desk in the corner. Glitch had been craning his neck, trying to spy the large white paper that was left on it. Did Mo draw? "I'm cool," he answered absently enough. "What's that? You some kind of Picasso or somethin'?"

"Oh uhh..," Mo began.

Glitch tilted his head as the guy turned rather nervous all of a sudden. There was a second where they studied one another before it seemed Mo mentally absorbed what Glitch planned to do as he raised from the bed. The taller body wedged itself skillfully between the smaller one and the drawing board. "Move out the way, Mo! I wanna see it!"

"No! It's uhh.. not finished!" Mo tried to reason, through clenched teeth.

"I know you're lyin', bro! C'mon! What is-" And then he saw it. Glitch swore every ounce of his blood flooded into his face. "Wh-What's that…? Dude…that's.."

"It's just art….ok?" Mo found himself meekly stating in his defense. He grabbed up the paper and held it over his chest, even if Glitch already spied it.

"Uhh.. ya.. sure man..," Glitch mumbled out. And thus the awkward silence trailed off a while longer. What the hell was he supposed to say! He didn't want to offend the guy or anything..but.. it was just pretty surprising was all. It was a picture of two guys..and..well.. "Um…So like…"

"You hungry?" Mo blurted out the question.

"Oh ya, sure," Glitch nodded his head absently. It seemed as good an escape route as any. Really, he didn't want dig any deeper himself either. Or did he? There was definitely one question that clawed its way inside his mind, but it seemed rude…especially after all that Mo was doing for him..and had done already.

Eventually Mo had set the paper back down, face-down and they found themselves sitting across from one another at their usual haunt. The diner again. That awkward air followed them all the way from the apartment. That picture was burned at the back of Glitch's eyelids. Two guys…together…kissing like that..? He felt the heat rushing at his cheeks again as he picked at a bit of egg with his fork a bit more.

"I gotta head off," Mo suddenly announced.

"Where you goin'?" Glitch asked as he finally dared to raise his gaze and scrutinize the other. He had been avoiding looking at him ever since the whole drawing incident.

"Work," sighed Mo. He dug within his pockets and produced his set of keys. One was pried off and set before Glitch on the table along with some money. "I'll be back tonight… but uh.. there's some money in case you wanna go around and do anything. Is that alright?"

Glitch slowly bobbed his head. Really, he wasn't expecting all this generosity. He listened as Mo left. It was only then that Glitch pushed his plate out of the way for what was to come. His head dropped heavily atop the table with a sharp thud. "…Shit.. that hurt," he whined out. He had forgotten about that injury. Raising his head again, he rubbed at it and further scrutinized the money and key left for him. Mariette was haunting him beyond the grave. Paid for. Was he? Nah.. Mo wasn't like that, he would have once reasoned with himself. But after seeing that drawing?

Glitch wasn't one to waste what had been offered to him. With the money that Mo left him, he finally got himself some new clothes and a long overdue haircut.

"Looks like it'll be a nasty scar," the hairdresser had told him.

Back at the apartment, Glitch found himself standing on his tip-toes with his head canted forward and to the side. The hair was fussed with briefly in that spot before he spied it. The way the guy styled it hid it pretty well. The green patch of hair was a cool touch, he decided. But, beneath the swept back bangs there was the still healing gash on his head. It looked pretty nasty. But it'd leave a scar? His hands patted the hair back over the area. The drawing incident was still haunting him.

Glitch felt downright sneaky as he returned to Mo's room..the scene of the crime, as it were. The picture was still left face-down on the desk. Carefully, Glitch turned it back over. Now that he got a good look at it, he realized pretty quickly that the art and posters about the room were drawn in the same style. It looked really professional. Was Mo really an artist? Maybe it was his job.

Yeah… That was it then. This was just something someone asked Mo to draw. Poor guy. And here he was getting all the wrong ideas about him…

Over the next few days, Glitch finally made himself at home. Mo left him with full reign of the place. After he got over the initial freak-out of excitement from having food so readily available nearby, he sat himself on the floor with the largest bag of potato chips he had ever held completely to himself. The television was also receiving his full attention when a knock came at the door.

"Yo," the voice called out. It was Mo.

Glitch beat at his pants, trying his best to wipe off the evidence of his snacking. He was making a mess of Mo's clean floor. The door was opened and he blinked when the shiny object was dangled within his face.

"Your own personal key, G."

"Really? That's ok?"

"Yeah, now you don't have to sit around waiting, y'know?"

"Really..?" Glitch repeated. He sounded a bit put off.

"So you can like go wherever you want," Mo explained.

"Oh I guess..," Glitch mumbled as he at last accepted the key. He dug within his pocket to relinquish the other over to Mo. It made sense. They needed their own key, was all.. But.. Ugh what was with him? Why was it upsetting with the way Mo worded it?

He watched as Mo immediately turned into house keeper mode. If he hadn't been the one to have made the mess, he would have found it funny. Mo was a very clean guy. He was also always exhausted after work. When everything settled down and they sat at opposite ends of the couch, it was then that Glitch made the sudden announcement. "We should do it."

"What?" Mo asked, rather startled by the sudden and shocking statement his little buddy made.

Glitch stared after the other a while before his eyes grew wide. "Th-That's not what I meant!" he shouted, shaking his head frantically back and forth. "I mean.. that idea.. th-the one about taking the subway..We could dance for money, right? Then you wouldn't have to draw those weird drawings for people. "

"Oh..," Mo breathed out. Was that what the little guy thought up over the last few days? His art was his job? Well, he wasn't so far off but… "You'd really wanna do that, G? I thought you don't dance."

"Yeah, maybe I don't," Glitch announced. "But like I said before, Mo, it's OK if it's with you. You said we're partners, right? So how about we do it? Do you think it'd work?"

"Can't know if we don't try," Mo answered with a smile. The television was clicked off.

"What you doin'?"

"We gotta practice if we wanna chase off Bodie and Emilia."

Glitch frowned. No more television? Well.. it was his idea after all. And he didn't want to see Mo so tired all the time. Or maybe that wasn't it at all… If they could really get money from dancing, then he wouldn't have been such a burden. Of course, there was also the fact that he would be able to spend more time with Mo. It was no secret. He enjoyed the guy's company. After all, Mo was sort of his savior.

It was a difficult process. The dancing itself was not the hardest thing. Glitch was simply spoiled to having his way around the home. Mo was a strict teacher. As soon as the guy got home, practice started until Glitch swore his legs and arms were falling off at the seams. Then, it was the day…or night as it were. Mo walked confidently at his side. Of course he would. Mo was an amazing dancer… it was Glitch who swore he had two left feet.

The bass pounded within the familiar place that Glitch had not been to since that day he cried and begged Mo to take him home. His head throbbed in reminder of the embarrassing prank Bodie and his buddies pulled on him that left him with a scar beneath the green fringe.

"Hey, that's—" Emilia began with a gentle smile.

"The little rat kid!" one of the crew chanted merrily.

"Nice hair..whoa what happened to your clothes!" another called.

"Mo, what's up," Bodie at last spoke up as he scrutinized the pair. So that's where they had vanished off to. Had Mo really taken in the street kid? "Were you thinking of joining back up with us?"

Mo shook his head, "Tell him, G."

"Me..?" Glitch found himself whispering out fearfully when Mo nudged him with an elbow. Of course he meant him. Who else? Slowly, Glitch dared to look up at the smiling blond with his green eyes. They felt like they were tearing up. "We…uh.. We came to take the subway…c..cuz it's ours..," he rattled the declaration out seemingly in a single breath.

"What's that, little man?" Bodie asked, his brows raising.

"Knock it off, Bo… He said-," Mo began.

"I said we came to take back the subway! Cuz it's ours, man!" Glitch suddenly shouted out.

The crowd that had surrounded gawked after the little guy for a while before they erupted in laughter.

"You hear that shit? The kid wants to take Em and Bodie's place."

"Who does this kid think he is?"

Emilia frowned. She didn't like all the tension. "Listen.. why don't we—"

Bodie shook his head, grinning wildly. If there was one thing he could not back away from.. it was a challenge. Sure, the kid was made fun of before… but Mo was with him. "I'm game," he answered. "But.. if you lose.. then you gotta do something."

"Whatever," Glitch found himself huffing out with that newfound courage. He was not really sure where it was coming from. "Like what?"

Mo too stared, baffled, down after his little buddy.

"If you lose… you gotta… lick your partner's shoes."

"Wha…?" Glitch asked as he made a face. What was this guy… like twelve? Of course he wasn't. It was just.. surprising. He was such a tall intimidating looking guy. His smiles were always so bright and shiny, but still he kept surprising Glitch by saying the strangest things.

"Deal," Mo surprised Glitch with his answer.

"What..! But Mo!" Glitch gasped. "That's just so.."

"What? We haven't even started and you're already thinking about losing?" Bodie teased with that grand smile that was always out of place when it accompanied such words. In truth, the guy didn't see the harm in it. It was all in good fun.

That wasn't true. Glitch narrowed his eyes. He wasn't thinking of losing! It was just.. it was a weird deal to make. Licking someone's shoes? What sort of weird ass idea was that? Still, everyone was laughing either over Bodie's suggestion or Glitch's reaction to it all…but Mo? Glitch caught sight of the guy's face and found himself rather stunned by its intensity.

The battle began and ended. The outcome? It should have been expected. Defeat was never something easy to handle. But why..? They practiced. They did their best, didn't they? Glitch clenched his fists in his anger, but the crowd was the judge. They were just not up to par with the other pair that danced together for so much longer than them. They moved like one. They had moves that were all their own. Their bodies moved in a way that was like the art Mo was capable of making on paper. It was so cool…Glitch would have thought if he were on the outside of it all. But he wasn't supposed to idolize them. He was supposed to have outdone them…. He let Mo down. And now.. they were faced with the awkward term of their loss. Lick his partner's shoes, right? Glitch began to lower himself to his knees when the gentle hold grasped at his shoulders.

"Mo…?" Glitch questioned the guy before he felt his cheeks burning at what happened. The tall guy got down before him. Everyone held their breath, staring on with anticipation for the act to have been carried out. This was an unseen turn of events. Sure they all expected the duo to lose to Em and Bodie, but they had expected it was the kid that was going to be suffering the consequences…not Mo, who used to be part of the gang.

Bodie tilted his head. The smile was not there when he scrutinized his old buddy getting down on the floor like that before the kid. "What are you doin', Mo?"

"Deals a deal," Mo answered.

The awkward silence from before was with them again when they were back home. Glitch stared at the television blankly though his mind was absolutely swarming with thoughts. Eventually, one finally surfaced, "Why.. did you do that?"

"What..?" Mo tilted his head back against the cushion of the couch to better scrutinize the other.

"The deal.. with Bodie.. You know.."

"I wasn't going to make you do that," Mo answered with a blink of his eyes.

"I.. I would have.. It was a deal. It was all my idea… I .. I should have.."

"Look, G..," Mo began as he sat up more. He gave the serious kid a playful nudge. "We're partners. And as long as we're partners.. I want to be there to take all the bad for you. So long as I'm around, I don't want you to have to worry about anything. Got me?"

"Mo..," Glitch found himself whispering. He couldn't stop the smile from forming as much as he tried to suppress it. Was this really just friendship? Was this what friends were supposed to be like? It felt deeper. What tied him to Mo was bigger than just friendship. Partners… maybe it was just one step up from friends. "Next time will be different. I won't let you down, Mo."

"Next time?" questioned Mo.

"Yeah. I gave up before we even started… We did it all wrong, Mo."

"What do you mean?"

"We can't just do what they do. We gotta do something better. We gotta do our own thing… Something that only we can do."

Determination was a powerful thing. But more powerful than that was whatever it was between Glitch and Mo. It grew stronger after that night. Whatever it was. Glitch became the master. Mo became the student. This time, they would bring their own beat.

"Yo, Bo," Mo called out with an innocent smile when they returned weeks later.

"Look who's back!" one of the crew started with a laugh. They all recalled that night. Mo.. licking the street kid's shoes. It was pretty priceless.

Bodie seemed uneasy when he spied the two approaching. "Hey… what's up?"

"We want our base," Glitch announced fearlessly.

"Look..," Bodie began, scratching a hand nervously behind his head. "About before.."

"We won't be losin' this time. Right, Mo?"

Mo grinned from beneath the shadow of his hoodie and cap. "Right, G."

Emilia released a sigh as she surveyed the group. Boys will be boys, she supposed. She gave a shake of her head and moved over to the music player only to find someone had beaten her to it. "Um..," she began.

"We brought our music this time," Glitch stated with a grand smile. "Oh ya.. and if you lose-"

At the end of it all, the crowd was left cheering. Mo offered Bodie a parting hug. Glitch couldn't stop grinning and Mo was not one to let the kid get away with it. He nudged him nearly off his feet with his elbow. "Look at you. Smilin' ear to ear. "

"Yeah. Whatever. I'm just happy we got our base, bro. "

"That's what I like to hear," Mo nodded his head. It was getting late. Everyone was heading home. Still, he and Glitch remained and sat where it all had began once. He wrapped an arm around the boy casually enough. "You know, G, that was a pretty lame deal…"

"What? Why?" Glitch at last pouted after his partner.

"C'mon.. If you lose.. promise you'll come back and try again? You could have told them to stay away and not come back."

"But that's not fun," Glitch mumbled with a roll of his head. "I like to dance with them."

"Whoa.. what? You _like_ dancing now?"

"With you. Just cuz it's with you," Glitch found himself whispering out absently. Mo roughed up his hair. Glitch's face felt hot again. Partners… it was just another word for a step up from friends, right? And that was him and Mo. Deeper and tighter than just friends. They were partners.


	4. The Exchange

"We gotta think of a name, G."

Glitch groaned as his answer. It wasn't the first time he heard it and he knew it wasn't going to be his last. He rested on the bed and stared off towards the ceiling. Mo was working…well..drawing. He didn't really care to know what it was. He figured his head would just fall right off if he saw another of those weird pictures. "I thought you wouldn't have to work anymore if we got the base, Mo?" His voice came out a bit more whiney than he intended. But really, it was upsetting. He had hoped he would have had the guy all to himself now!

"Oh uhh.. It's just a few last things I have to finish up. Why? Did you have anything in mind?" Mo leaned back within his seat, flipping the brim of his hat so he could better spy on the little man splayed out on his bed.

"I just thought maybe we could hang out more. Somethin'…"

Mo turned his gaze out towards the window. The sun was out. It was supposed to be getting warmer now. It was a nice day. Then, his gaze turned towards the drawing on his desk. It was flipped over and he grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. "Well let's get going then. But you still got work to do too. We gotta think of a name. This thing is your baby, G. You get dibs."

"Ugh, that's not fair!" Glitch outright whined. Something blacked out his view suddenly. It didn't take long to realize it was Mo's jacket. Before he could retaliate, the guy was already running out the door ahead. "Wait up!" he called out, tossing the coat crumpled onto the bed before he rushed after him.

When Glitch caught up with him at last, they fell into stride together. "So where we goin'?"

"To the base? We can make some bucks and go get a bite to eat," Mo suggested.

It seemed like a good enough idea…. Until they got there to find their base was infiltrated.

"Was wondering when you two would show up. Hey," Emilia called forth with a smile. She waved happily after the pair.

"You didn't forget you owned the place, did you?" Bodie asked mostly after Glitch who looked pretty cross over their intrusion. "Don't give me that look, little G," he teased with a smile. "We're just visiting."

Glitch merely huffed in his disapproval. He supposed he really couldn't tell them to go away.

"It was your idea to keep them around, G," Mo whispered as he nudged his moody counterpart. "Let's play nice."

They all sat together. Emilia shared some candy with Glitch who made certain to sit as far away from Bodie as possible. Mo leaned himself against a wall as the conversation carried on around them. They were just waiting around for the night crowd. Apparently, Glitch wasn't the only one that had nothing to do and turned stir-crazy.

"Nothin' to do," Glitch whined out over the stick-like-candy which Emilia had tons of.

"I got an idea..but I don't think you guys would be up for it," Bodie announced.

Glitch offered a challenging glare Bodie's way. "Yah, what's that?"

"Whoa whoa..," Emilia laughed after the boy. "Calm down."

"Okay…," Glitch sighed. "I'm listenin'… What's your idea?"

"How about we trade.. just for a day."

"Trade….what?" Glitch asked.

"Partners," Bodie answered with a grin. He observed the clear dislike on the little guy's face. He was always so easy to read. "So how about it? It'd be like a foreign exchange program. We get to learn from each other… Stuff we wouldn't know just keepin' to ourselves…"

Glitch narrowed his eyes. He was watching Bodie like a hawk. He couldn't ever tell what that guy was thinking. Was that the real reason? Just to learn from each other..? He found it hard to trust him after the prank. "Are you good with that, Mo?" After all, Mo wasn't just some item to be traded off. He had a say in the matter..and Glitch wasn't going to make his partner do anything he didn't wanna do.

"I'm cool with it if you are, G," Mo answered coolly. It seemed like today was going to be pretty interesting after all.

"Fine, but I want Mo back in one piece, got me, Bodie?" Glitch decided cockily over the pocky stick. His eyes narrowed still. He was still downright serious over the situation.

"What?" Bodie laughed. It was such a boyish laugh. The guy with his sunshine smile leaned in and snapped the end off Glitch's stick with his fingers. "But I wanna trade for you, Little G," he announced before he nipped upon the stolen stick piece.

Glitch stared. His mind took time to process what had been said. Little did he know, he wasn't the only one left gawking after the guy. Mo too looked rather surprised. This changed things. "You.. Hey! You tricked me! And who the hell said I wanted to share with you!"

"It's our candy though," Emilia murmured absently. "But I guess that leaves you and me, Mo." She smiled towards the guy.

"Oh .. ya. Guess so," Mo answered, still rather floored. Did this really just happen? What was Bodie planning at? As far as he could tell from past events, the guy was out to mess with Glitch. Was this going to lead to another prank? He didn't want Glitch getting hurt… And worse was that he gave the OK for this. Though, Glitch had agreed to it as well. They just didn't figure Bodie would have swapped Em for Glitch.

"Why are you so surprised?" asked Bodie as he gave the characteristic raise of his eyebrows. "You're the reason the two of you guys beat us that night. I heard you were the one that came up with those moves… I'm impressed."

"Bodie…," Mo began.

Emilia looked between the pair. Mo had a pretty tense look on his face. Bodie was, of course, all smiles. "Mo! Why don't you show me your apartment! I want to see where the magic happens!"

Glitch stared on as though he were watching a train wreck in action. This wasn't happening! That was HIS apartment. HIS Mo. HIS magic! Geez.. it was just for a day though. What was wrong with him? Still, he couldn't quite get his heart to stop racing its way up his throat as though it were looking for a way out of the mess as much as he was. While Em carted off the stumbling Mo arm-in-arm, he was left with the sunshine Bodie who made people lick shoes for fun. "Uh… so what—"

"I wanna show you somethin'. C'mon."

Glitch wasn't so sure about this whole deal anymore. But there was no backing out now. Up he got to his feet and followed after the guy. The greatest sense of dread filled him the further away from familiar territory they got. "Uh… yo.. Bodie.. Where we going?"

"You don't trust me at all, do you?" The guy shook his head as he laughed. "Man.. you're really something else."

"Why should I?" Glitch grumbled irritably.

Bodie paused in his steps, causing Glitch's stomping steps to run the kid right into him as he turned around. The sun was setting by then. Where were they even?

Glitch felt the heat rush to his face when Bodie bent down to get eye-level with him. Everyone was just so damned tall. But, besides that, Bodie's smile seemed so much brighter with the sun setting at his back like that. "Uh… Bo…," he murmured, trying his best to shy away from the brightness of it all. He wasn't sure what bothered him most—the sun glaring in his eyes or Bodie's overly friendly smile.

"You got your place right? You and Mo? Well, this is ours."

Glitch remained rather confused until he at last surveyed what it was Bodie referred to. The beach. They were headed for the beach. "But then why did you guys go to the subway?"

"You don't ever get tired staying in the same place all the time? I love seeing new people. I love makin' them smile."

"Oh..," Glitch murmured. He was beginning to feel a bit of guilt. Had he had Bodie wrong all this time? The guy was pretty nice so far. What was it he had been so scared about to begin with? When did Bodie ever deliberately do anything to hurt him? Even the bump on his head wasn't Bodie's doing. It was just the crew that hung around that night.

Bodie's place was pretty fun. The night gave it a cooler air than it had during the warmer day. Together, they danced. Bodie wasn't too bad at picking up the new moves Glitch had come up with for him and Mo. Of course, he still wasn't Mo. And Bodie tried his best to help Glitch understand his and Em's routines better. Tired, they finally sat together beneath the lights strung up at the tiki bar.

"Bodie.. why did you really wanna swap partners today?" asked Glitch. "I know you said you wanna learn stuff..but.. I'm not buyin' it, man. So what's the deal?"

"I wanted to see what Mo sees," Bodie answered without missing a beat.

"What..?" Glitch asked out, rather bewildered by the answer he was given. "What do you mean..?"

* * *

><p>"These are really good, Mo. I haven't seen you draw like this in a long time…," Emilia gasped as she carefully flipped through the papers left upon the desk.<p>

Mo scratched absently at his shoulder before he readjusted his cap nervously to better shadow over his eyes. "Uh.. You think so?"

"What does Glitch think about them?" The silence that answered her question caused her to at last look over to the guy. Emilia tilted her head a moment. The papers were then set aside, back on the desk. "Mo… He does know, doesn't he?"

Mo bowed his head further. He childishly averted his gaze away from her imploring eyes.

Emilia sighed. Boys could really be silly… She never seen Mo like this before, however. She sat herself beside him and nudged against his shoulder playfully until he at last looked to her. "Those are the saddest puppy eyes I've ever seen," she said with a smile. "Oh Mo… You need to tell him."

"No way… If he finds out.. What if he just runs off? I rather keep him safe and happy. That's all. He doesn't have to know all that."

"That's really not okay, though," Emilia offered her thoughts on the matter. "I think you should at least try…"

"I'm okay with it. Really, I am," since when did he become such a horrible liar? Mo released a shaken laugh. "Tell you the truth, Em, I don't think I ever felt like this before."

* * *

><p>Mo… Was it really true?<p>

Bodie was rather shocked when the little guy took off like that. What happened? Didn't Glitch know? Shit… what if he didn't? Bodie ran his hands over his face. "Man.."

Glitch panted as he ran through the streets. It was a familiar feeling. That adrenaline. It was so similar to when he had stolen from someone. He felt like something was after him. Chasing him. It was such a similar feeling that drove him forward. But it was also different. The something he was running from.. was it really something so scary? Was it really this horrifying thing..? Those drawings… all the stuff he said about how he wanted to get Mo out of the job so he didn't have to draw that "weird" stuff. He felt as though he had something solid stuck within his throat. The guilt he felt was so very real.

The door flew open so suddenly, Mo began to worry where his bat was. Quickly he stood to confront the trespasser, maneuvering himself bravely between the door to his bedroom and where Emilia sat on his bed with wide eyes. The door flew open.. and there he stood. Mo's intense look turned rather confused. "G..? You alright?"

"You…have… Those… I..," Glitch heaved out the words in what little breath he could muster between the gasps. He hunched himself over, grabbing at his knees.

"Whoa, slow down, bro," Mo spoke as he walked over, patting the little guy on his back. "What's up? Bodie didn't do anything, did he..?"

Glitch could only shake his head. He couldn't regain his breath. He couldn't stop shaking and he didn't want Mo to see that. His hands gripped harder at his knees. He struggled to regain himself. He fought for the courage.

"I'll just head back, you two," Emilia said with an innocent smile. At least it seemed Bodie had fun with the boy this time. No bad things happened that she could spot out anyways. It made her happy to think they would maybe get along better because of this little exchange. She didn't like the hostility between them. Besides, Mo was their friend too. And Glitch was a good kid.

Glitch panted still when he listened to Emilia leave out the apartment.

"What's going on, G?" Mo asked again.

"You.. You're… Those drawings… They're not work," Glitch finally spoke the words. Slowly, he lifted himself to stare after Mo's face. Everyone always saw the guy's eyes in shadows. Not him. From his view, he could see them. He saw the look in them. Mo looked like a deer in headlights. "Yeah.. Yeah I know they're not work," he answered for him.

Mo took an unsteady step back and away from Glitch. This was just what he was fearing. Damned Bodie.. He likely blurted it out. "Uhh.. ya.. They're not." But how much did Glitch know? What did Bodie say? Fear left the older guy rather paralyzed there. There was no escape from Glitch now. All this time he had been hoping it could have been avoided. Kept in the dark.

"You… You got somethin' to say to me, Mo?" Glitch finally asked, but he realized he wasn't going to get an answer. The guy was terrified. Why? Was it so scary? Was _he_ so scary? "You're gay, aintcha?"

Mo's gaze stared back, shocked.

"And… you like me, dontcha, Mo?" Glitch took a step forward. Mo had nowhere to run now. His back was up against the drawing desk. It was there that Glitch spied the answer which Mo wasn't going to speak. The new pictures…the ones Mo said were stuff he had to finish for his job..they were pictures of him…smiling with Mo at his side. Those green eyes shifted then from the pictures and then back to Mo.

"Yeah…Yeah, I do," Mo at last answered fearfully. "I'm real sorry, Glitch. I..," he turned his gaze to the floor. "I get it if you don't wanna be around here anymore."

The silence seemed to last an eternity….even if it was only seconds.

"I'm not runnin' away anywhere, Mo," Glitch announced.

"G..?" Mo stared after the boy.

"I'm okay with it," Glitch confessed even though he felt his face glowing red hot. His hands reached even though they shook and he took hold of his bro's hands into his own. The longer, darker digits found themselves coupled together by smaller ones. "Cuz… it's okay if it's you, Mo."

On tiptoes, Mo still had to lean down to steal away that first kiss. It was like fireworks went off. They shot a hot current from where they stemmed within Glitch's very belly. The sparks spread throughout his entire body from his hot face down to his toes. His hands never felt so warm in all of his life until they found themselves held by Mo's own, against the chest. This was his. His Mo. His partner.

* * *

><p>"You're very good at that, you know," spoke the voice at Glitch's back.<p>

"Well someone's gotta color them. I can't believe you just left them like that all this time.. I feel sorry for them, Mo." For some reason, it got Glitch thinking. It was likely the whole first-love feeling. Everything had to relate to Mo somehow these last few days. Oh look the diner. Yah Mo takes him to eat there. Oh look the subway. Yah that's his and Mo's base. See that pebble in the corner of the room? Yah, it was stuck to Mo's sneaker…

But coloring Mo's drawings got him to thinking about him too. It made him think about what they had together. Bodie had said he wanted to see what Mo could see. "Yo, Mo. What do you see when you see me?"

"I see everything I wanna be. You're strong and you don't give up for anything. You know you're a great dancer… and you'll just keep gettin' better." Mo sighed contently as he leaned against the back of Glitch's chair. His lanky arms enwrapped the boy. "Seeing you around.. bein' happy.. it makes everything so much clearer to me. Like my world is in Hi-Def or somethin'." It was around then that he laughed. He was beginning to sound pretty corny, wasn't he? "You make me happy, G."

Glitch seemed quiet. Was he put off by the odd words? Did they make him so happy he was crying? It was hard to tell when he stared off like that. Mo simply waited for whatever it was the kid was about to do. The suspense was killing him.

"Yo, Mo!" Glitch nearly leapt out his chair with how he took to bouncing in place like that. He spun about in the chair, nearly head butting Mo in the chin. Luckily, the guy was expecting some sort of spontaneous response and was quick on his toes.

"What's up?" Mo asked

"I got it! Hi-Def!" Glitch shouted out excitedly.

"Got it? Got what?"

"The name, bro…," Glitch pouted, seeming disappointed Mo didn't know what he was talking about. "The name for our crew. Hi-Def."

Mo laughed. "That's the perfect name, G. See? I knew what I was talkin' about when I said you got dibs on it first."

"But.. you're the one that said it, Mo," Glitch huffed out even when the guy hugged at his head. His protests and complaints didn't last. Mo had his head trapped in his favorite place. Inevitably, he caved in and wrapped his arms around his partner. He listened to that steady beat and grinned like a madman. It was his beat, after all.


End file.
